The Legend of Zelda: Power of the Triforce
by Aleric Griffonheart
Summary: At last, after a long period of dormancy I have returned. Please take a look at the new and improved version of Power of the Triforce. It is a basic adventure fic with cool fights following the OoT and MM story lines. Please R&R because I've worked hard.
1. Trouble in Torgash

I.

She walked quickly and quietly through the town, her delicate legs stepping carefully over pebbles in the road. She was trying desperately to be quiet.  
Then the square was bathed in the pale yellow light of the moon, illuminating her fair face and blue eyes, with a few strands of red hair to be seen sticking out from beneath her hood.  
She was Malon Lon, the daughter of Talon Lon, the owner of Lon Lon Ranch.  
Malon darted from one deep shadow to the next, trying to stay hidden. Someone was following her in this town. That was why she had left the inn so suddenly; she had seen someone watching her through the shutter slats of her room. She had discreetly glanced over there and saw him disappear. She was sure that she was seeing things, a side effect of her time with Link, for he was always seeing danger at every turn, until she saw him again. This time she noticed he had very pretty hazel eyes.  
She then immediately set down her newest novel, a romance, grabbed her navy hooded cloak, and threw it over her white blouse and long maroon skirt. She extinguished her low burning candle, and picking her dagger up, left.  
Malon had hidden the small blade under her cloak, its hood up, and walked across the cobblestone square to a fountain in the center. She stood there for a few minutes, gazing at the beautifully carved mermaid spouting water from her lips, creating a gentle splashing sound in the pool below. She listened and looked out the sides of her eyes, searching for her stalker. After a few minutes she saw the first rays of moon light peek out from behind a dark cloud and Malon walked away from the fountain, not wanting to be caught in the light.  
Here she was now. She huddled nervously by the brick and mortar wall of the blacksmith's shop, her chin pressed against her chest. Torgash, the town she was staying in, was not dangerous. Nothing like what was happening to her had ever happened before. Malon longed for her father and when they would take these sorts of trips together. She had always wanted to go off alone, but now that she was able to, she wanted her father here so he could tell her she was just dreaming.  
Malon got to thinking. Maybe she was seeing things.  
"Crunch,"  
Malon's head snapped up and her hand went around the handle of her dagger. A man stood about ten feet away from her and wore a tan overcoat with a bluish tunic visible underneath it. He wore dark pants, "Maybe green," Malon thought, and leather boots. He was not especially tall, nor very short, he was right in between. The man was husky, and his long overcoat hung down to his knees. He was looking down to the edge of town, by the stables where Malon had left Epona. Then his head turned to near where she was hiding. "Please don't see me, please don't see me," she pleaded to herself.  
A warm smile spread across the man's face as he called loudly to her. "Halloo lass, out for a bit o' air?" he asked.  
Malon was silent. Maybe he was talking to someone else. Malon knew hat wasn't the case. She closed her eyes, and hoped that if she couldn't see him, he wouldn't see her. "Missy? Are you all right?" he asked, his face concerned as he began to walk near her. Malon looked into his eyes and saw that they were brown.  
"I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else," Malon responded as she came out of the shadows to him.  
"Happens," the man answered, pulling a hand rolled smoke from his jacket pocket and lighting up. He took a puff. "Who'd you think I was?" he asked her as a breeze came and carried the smoke away.  
She hesitated. Maybe they were working together. "Someone's following me," Malon replied quickly as she looked around.  
The man instinctively looked to his sides, and immediately felt foolish. "Are you yankin' my leg missy?" he asked her seriously.  
"No, I wouldn't joke about something like that," Malon responded.  
The moon was once again shrouded by the clouds and they stood in the dark. "The name's Myron," Myron said extending his hand reflexively, but he realized the awkwardness of that action in this sort of situation and quickly pulled his hand back. "I'm staying in a room above the tavern across town," he told her, pointing over his shoulder.  
"Malon Lon," she answered.  
"Would you perhaps like to come back to me room for the night? I'm sure they'll catch this guy by mornin', whoever he is," Myron offered, dropping the butt of his cigarette and stomping it out. "I have two beds if that's what you worried about," Myron continued, smiling.  
"I don't know, something tells me that this guy is dangerous, and I don't want to see you get hurt," Malon warned.  
"I'll be fine. You just come with me back to the tavern, and you'll be al...arrrgggghhhhh!" Myron screamed as he was staggered back, an arrow lodged in his chest, directly above his heart.  
Malon screamed as he collapsed. There was someone there! Someone was trying to kill her! Malon could think of only one thing as she screamed and ran away from the scene. Epona. "Get on Epona and ride," she told herself.  
Her screaming had woken the entire town, and people looked out of their doors and windows to see what had caused all of the commotion. A few had even found Myron and were shouting for help. Myron was dead though. Malon had seen Link shoot enough times, he had even started to teach her, to know a kill shot, and it was her fault that he was dead. He was only trying to help her, and her stalker, there was no doubt in her mind that they were the same person, had killed him.  
She reached Epona, who was tied up outside the stable and was greatly disturbed by Malon's screaming. Malon quickly untied her, mounted and rode off. "Link, he'll protect me," Malon thought as she turned to the southeast, the direction that the Kokiri Forest lay in.

The man laughed. His orders had been rather strange considering his profession, and he would have thought them difficult, but Ardriss was enjoying himself immensely. She was just like all the other women he had been sent to kill, afraid of their own shadow. Ardriss chuckled as he remembered the look of pure, abject terror he had seen on her face after he had fired.  
He had been surprised, she had been remarkably quiet, and it would have taken him a great deal of time to find her in the large town of Torgash, but that was where that bumbling idiot had been useful. "What was his name again?" Ardriss thought. It was not important. He was an idiot, and should have started walking the other way once the woman had mentioned him. He had been helpful though, drawing her out of hiding, and for that he had granted him a swift death.  
Ardriss had seen her run to the stables, to that magnificent animal she owned. That was where Ardriss headed now. He wore a brown tunic and black cloak. He stepped inside, and sought the owner. Squinting in the daylight, he addressed her. "Excuse me Miss," he greeted her in his deep and rich voice.  
"Yes?" she responded, turning from a stack of riding saddles. She looked at him hard, trying to see how much he was worth to her.  
"That woman, the one from last night, the screamer, do you know her?" Ardriss asked, knowing the answer.  
"Yes, I saw her leave on her horse,"  
"Excellent," he replied. "Did you happen to see in which direction she went?" he asked, sliding a 100 rupee crystal into her hand.  
"Yes," she said with a smile as she pocketed the crystal. "She was heading toward the forest to the southeast," she told him.  
Ardriss grinned. He couldn't believe his luck. "So many fools so little time," he thought. "Thank you," Ardriss said as he turned, and straightened his tunic. "I wonder, would she have been so helpful if she knew she had just signed the young lady's death warrant?" Ardriss asked himself. Ardriss turned back to look at the stable manager. "Oh, and may I rent one of your horses?" Ardriss asked as he examined a fine black mare.  
"Yes,"  
"Is 200 enough?"  
"Yes, which one would you like?" the stable owner asked, picking up a saddle from the pile.  
"This one right here," he said as he patted the mare's flank.

Ardriss rode the mare towards the forest; following the tracks of what he believed was his quarry. The woman had run to Link, the Hero of Time as Ardriss's master had called him, just as Ardriss and his master had predicted. Ardriss had seen Link in action once before, and had no desire for a confrontation. Adriss would reach her and deal with her right under his nose.  
If Link interfered though, and Ardriss was sure that he would find some way to do that, he would kill him; Ardriss was the best after all.


	2. Abduction

Link looked around the forest, his blue eyes always on the lookout for trouble, his blond hair just peeking out from underneath his green cap. Link was armed with his gilded sword, hookshot and his bow, with his quiver filled with arrows. Many a careless fool had fallen to the claws of the forest's wolfos, which explained why he carried so much weaponry. He now went in search of water. The water in Kokiri Village was unfit for Hylians, and Link was forced to gather his supply. His green tunic was clean and non-restricting, allowing him to cover the distance from his tree house and the water pool very quickly with his long legs.  
As far as he knew, he was the only Hylian ever to enter the Kokiri Forest and leave its clutches alive. This explained his reaction. Link was filling his water skin at the pool that led to Zora's Domain when he heard the loud "clop, clop, clop," of a walking horse. He cocked his head and listened. It was still there, he was not imagining things. Never before had a horse entered the forest, not even Epona.  
Link ran, his soft leather boots crunching on the sticks and pine needles on the forest floor, to the ledge overlooking a small bridge. The bridge was made of pine, and was the only entrance to the Kokiri Forest.  
Link stared and saw the shadow of a horse and rider coming through the tunnel. He pulled his golden hookshot from his belt and targeted the wooden planks of the bridge. He fired just as the rider entered.  
The spear tip vaulted out, carrying with it a long chain. It flew through the air and lodged itself in the soft pine and immediately started to pull Link in. Link flew through the air after it, his gilded sword from Termina unsheathed. He landed on the walkway only a few seconds later, and waved the blade menacingly in front of the animal.  
The horse whinnied and reared, throwing the rider from its back. The cloaked and hooded rider fell back, and was knocked unconscious when she, for the build appeared to be that of a woman, struck her head on the wooden planks. Link then got a good look at the horse; it was a light brown mare with a white mane and small brown eyes. "Epona," Link whispered softly. If Epona was here, that meant the rider was... Link moved to her and lowered the hood. The cascade of flaming red hair gave it away. It was Malon. "Oops," Link whispered. He carefully picked her up in his arms and whistled for Epona to follow him.

"Uhhhh. Liinnkk," Malon groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. She now lay in a bed carved of strong oak padded with the softest animal pelts Malon had ever felt, and with a neatly woven wool blanket covering her body. She threw the woolen cover from her body and stood. The house was simple, only a few pieces of furniture were present, a pair of chairs, a table, and a dresser. One of the chairs had been moved near her bed, and there sat Link, his head on his chest, fast asleep.  
"No sense in waking him just yet. I'll look around a bit," Malon thought as she walked around the small tree house. Malon was amazed at what hung on its walls. One wall was covered in weaponry that would make even the Bazaar's owner drool in envy. A golden hook shot, a boomerang, a leather bag full of bombs, a strong looking bow and quiver filled with arrows, a giant long sword, a smaller but no less impressive sword covered in what appeared to her to be gold, and a large war hammer hung on that one wall.  
She looked at another and gasped. It was covered with twenty four, she counted them, wooden masks, and they all appeared to be staring at her. One looked like a goron, while another looked like it was the face of a zora, while still another appeared to be a deku scrub. One other though captivated her eye. It was in the shape of a fierce warrior, whose cheeks were covered in red war paint. Except for the white hair and eyes, Malon was shocked at how much it looked like Link.  
"Uh," Link grunted as his eyes snapped open. He stretched his arms, and scanned the house. His eyes fell on Malon, and he jumped to his feet. "Malon!" he shouted as he ran to her. He grabbed Malon in a tight hug. "Are you all right?" he asked her as they parted, his eyes staring into hers.  
The words brought back an image of Myron with an arrow in his chest. "No, I'm not all right," she choked out as she started sobbing. She buried her head in Link's green tunic and cried until she could not cry anymore.  
"Shhh," Link said, trying to comfort her. "It's okay; I'm here to help you. What happened?" he asked, leading Malon back to the bed.  
"Is Epona okay?" Malon asked in between sniffles.  
"She's fine," Link answered as they sat down.  
"Where should I start?" she asked as her eyes and tears dried.  
"At the beginning," he told her

Ardriss dismounted from the rented mare and slowly walked into the forest, his black cloak blowing behind him in the slight breeze. Nothing was heard as he entered the forest. He only heard the "crunch, crunch, crunch," of his footsteps. Nothing, not even a bird was to be heard.  
Ardriss was nervous. "Maybe the stories of monsters were true," Ardriss thought, drawing his falchion, a blade of Shiekah origin that many of the sect's members crafted when they ended their apprenticeship. Ardriss heard the lonely and far off howl of a wolfos and he cringed. "Stop it," he chided himself. He was the best. He had trained as a Shiekah; this was almost routine for him, so nothing about his mission should scare him, he was Sheikah.  
Still Ardriss walked even slower as he crossed the pine bridge. He did not expect an ambush from the Kokiri, even with Link among them, but neither did he think they would give him a warm welcome, or any welcome at all for that matter. After all, they had never trusted "big people".  
Ardriss was pleased with his cover. Not even Link would see through it. Ardriss would pose as a Hyrulian Investigator, and was checking into the murder of a Myron Drachna of Torgash, and he had received several eyewitness accounts stating that a young woman had been seen leaving the scene at high speed on a course that would enter the forest.  
Ardriss strode through the woods until he glimpsed the village through the trees. Ardriss was granted a single moment of happy music and children playing before they spotted him. They and the music stopped as the Kokiri turned to glare at him.  
Ardriss swallowed and walked toward one of the children. "I am looking for a young woman with red hair," he said to the child, a boy, as he sheathed the falchion.  
The child merely pointed to a tree house. "Thank you," Ardriss said with a smile and a slight bow.

Link had barely finished apologizing for knocking Malon off Epona after she told her grim tale, when a deep voice, a voice, called out. "Hyrulian Investigators!" he shouted.  
Link was startled at yet another Hylian to enter the forest in such a short time, and replied after a second's hesitation. "What is it?" he called as he went to the wall to grab his gilded sword in its scabbard.  
"Is there a Malon Lon up there?" he asked.  
"Yes," Link answered.  
"May I speak with Miss Lon?" Ardriss asked.  
"Come up," Link said to him.  
Ardriss climbed the ladder and stepped into Link's tree house. "Good afternoon Miss Lon," Ardriss said in his thick baritone. Malon glanced at his eyes and gripped Link's arm tightly when she saw they were hazel. "So, she did see my eyes," Ardriss thought as a smile blossomed across his face. "A careless move," he added. "Investigator Romitts," Ardriss spoke clearly, extending his hand out to Link, who declined.  
"You said you were an investigator?" Link asked, looking at Ardriss. The investigators were an outfit established by the King of Hyrule not long ago in order to police the land in this time of relative peace. The investigators were highly successful, and numbered approximately two hundred in number. The man was about Link's height and had sandy blond hair. His face looked cheerful, but was marred by a nasty looking scar on his the right side of his face, in the skin next to his eye. It looked like it was from a sword, and was almost unnoticeable because of where it was due to his hair was.  
"I just said I was," Ardriss replied as he started to feel uneasy.  
"You are Shiekah," Link spoke as he looked at the blade Ardriss carried and moved his hand to his sword.  
"Great, he knows something," Ardriss thought as he discreetly reached for a smoke bomb. "Is there a problem with that?" he asked.  
"There are no Shiekah Investigators," Link said.  
Ardriss dropped the smoke bomb as he said that, and it exploded, shrouding the whole house in dense smoke. "Malon, cough. Get back!" Link ordered.  
"Too late," Ardriss thought with a smirk as he grabbed Malon up in his arms.  
"Aaaiieeeeee!" Link! Help!" Malon screamed as Ardriss tried to flee.  
"Malon!" Link roared, swinging his sword at the voice. Link felt the blade strike flesh but heard no scream.  
Ardriss grimaced as the blade bit his left shoulder, but he hurried on. He jumped from the tree house and felt the whoosh of a swung sword. He ran full out, but Malon's squirming was making it difficult. "Lie still or I'll kill you now," he threatened her  
Malon was immediately still.

Link had fought his way through the smoke and saw the man jump. Link swung his sword and missed. "This guy is fast," Link thought as he saw him halfway to the entrance. Link jumped and took off at top speed after him. "Stop him!" Link shouted vainly to the Kokiri, but none of them moved a muscle.  
Link ran faster, but as he crossed the bridge and neared the forest's exit, he heard the whinny of a horse. Link put every ounce of energy into his legs, and somehow managed to go faster.  
He streaked out of the forest and saw the black mare galloping away from him. It was hopeless. Link collapsed on his knees as the rider laughed and rode away to the northwest. He knelt there crying for a long time and only stopped once twilight had come. Then he looked up into the setting sun and roared one thing. "MALON!"


End file.
